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"Lord Ramusas—!!"
Lucia let out a heartrending cry, collapsing to the floor in disbelief.
Her eyes widened as she watched her king crushed casually beneath Bokue's foot, slammed brutally into his throne like a piece of worthless trash.
The shocking scene played vividly before her.
Drip... drip...
Warm blood seeped through the cracked surface beneath Ramusas's body, slowly pooling around the shattered throne. Dark red streams trickled out, forming ominous crimson patterns etched into the marble floor.
Crack—
Bokue calmly lifted his foot away, causing another sharp sound as the broken throne splintered further beneath Ramusas's battered body.
The once-proud red-haired ruler, the leader who once stood at his brother's side conquering and claiming the northern lands, was now reduced to a pitiful state—crushed, broken, and fading fast.
His ribs were shattered by the sheer force of that casual kick, a deep footprint branded grotesquely into his chest. Blood welled up from Ramusas's lips, trickling down his chin as he gasped faintly.
Bokue intentionally left him alive—just barely—to grant him one final, brief moment. A chance to reflect upon his wasted life.
Standing imperiously above him, Bokue looked down coldly, eyes indifferent.
"I can imagine what you're probably thinking right now," Bokue said quietly. "You thought you could just put on a sad act and guilt-trip everyone into feeling sorry for your 'impossible situation,' shifting all blame onto the Current Demon Lord Faction. Then you'd pretend you had no choice but to sacrifice your niece."
He snorted disdainfully, shaking his head.
"And then you'd hope Rias and the others might go soft-hearted, desperately trying to come up with some miraculous solution that lets your faction win without sacrificing Mio."
"Sure, it's possible," Bokue continued casually, "After all, compared to the rest of the Underworld, the Northern Territory is nothing but barren wasteland. Even a lesser family among the 72 Pillars could easily become dominant here. If the Gremory family joined forces with your Old Demon Lord Faction, then of course you'd crush the Current Demon Lords easily."
Bokue shrugged dismissively. "You know, that's actually a decent plan—except for one little problem: I simply don't care."
His eyes hardened suddenly, sharp as steel.
"Why should we put our lives on the line for your selfish ambitions? Neither Mio nor the Gremory family owe your faction a single thing."
"I—I was just trying to—" Ramusas weakly tried to speak, tremblingly reaching out a blood-streaked hand.
But before he could utter another word, Bokue's foot stomped down once more, crushing Ramusas's face beneath his heel and silencing him instantly.
"Spare me the 'deathbed repentance' nonsense," Bokue said coldly. "It's disgusting."
"—!!"
"Get away from Lord Ramusas!!" Lucia screamed frantically. Gathering all her strength, the maid staggered upright, pushing herself toward Bokue, intending to shove him aside.
But before she could even approach, a gentle yet powerful wave of purple magic suddenly wrapped around her like a cocoon, freezing her mid-step.
"Calm down, Lucia," Sheila softly but firmly commanded, eyes glowing faintly as her magic tightened gently around her elder daughter.
"Mother, release me this instant!" Lucia struggled futilely, utterly helpless against her mother's stronger magic. "Don't stop me, please—!"
She was forced to stand helplessly in place, trapped by the powerful, restraining magic as she glared with burning hatred toward the youth standing over Ramusas's battered body.
Bokue stepped down calmly from the throne, leaving Ramusas dying and silent. He approached Lucia, looking at her indifferently.
"Relax. You're Sheila's daughter—I wouldn't harm you," he stated plainly. "But I want you to imagine something for a moment."
He glanced briefly toward Maria, who stood quietly off to the side, clearly worried about her sister's reaction.
"Suppose someday your race went to war against another demon race. Suppose they came to you, demanding that you sacrifice your own younger sister, extracting the unique powers she inherited from Wilbert, to achieve victory. Would you agree to something like that?"
"Wha—Of course not!" Lucia's eyes flashed indignantly. "That's ridiculous, I would never—!"
"Exactly my point." Bokue interrupted calmly, shrugging casually.
"As I already told you clearly yesterday, when Mio was hunted by the Current Demon Lords, your Old Demon Lord faction stood by and did nothing. When Sheila was kidnapped by those same people, you still didn't lift a finger. Even when your younger sister Maria was coerced into betraying Mio, you never intervened."
He paused slightly, meeting Lucia's furious glare with calm defiance.
"In every instance, I was the one who stepped in. Mio doesn't owe your faction anything, Lucia—not a single thing."
Bokue's voice turned icy and relentless. "Your faction's current behavior is exactly the same as the scenario I described. So again, let me ask you clearly: if the roles were reversed—would you accept that?"
It was rare for Bokue to spend this much time explaining himself to someone. The only reason he even bothered was due to Sheila's relationship with Lucia.
"I...I..." Lucia's voice faltered slightly. She clearly still wanted to argue but struggled to find a response to his words.
Sheila finally interjected gently but firmly, "That's enough, Lucia. Let it go."
"What...?" Lucia's eyes widened in disbelief as a gentle surge of violet-hued magic enveloped her body. An irresistible wave of exhaustion immediately washed over her, making her sway softly on the spot. A moment later, Lucia slumped to one side, falling gently into Maria's waiting arms.
"Maria, please take care of your sister," Sheila instructed her younger daughter softly.
Maria nodded obediently, carefully supporting Lucia as her older sister fell into an enforced slumber.
Sheila then turned calmly toward Bokue, smiling reassuringly. "Bokue, don't mind her reaction. Lucia simply needs some time to process everything. She'll come around eventually."
Bokue merely shrugged indifferently. "I understand."
Turning casually to the other girls gathered nearby, he glanced around lightly, raising an eyebrow. "So... what's next?"
"..."
"..."
Yes, what exactly was next?
They all realized simultaneously: they had rushed here eagerly, anticipating a fierce confrontation, only for Bokue to solve everything neatly in less than a minute.
Now it all felt oddly anticlimactic—more like a sightseeing tour gone wrong than an actual battle.
So... was it time to leave?
Yet, just as that very thought emerged in their minds, a new voice suddenly echoed from the throne room's main entrance.
"My oh my... what's all this? And here I came, thinking I'd inform you about the final battle between the Current and Old Demon Lords, but..."
The new figure stepped leisurely into the ruined throne room, eyes scanning over the chaotic scene curiously. "...Looks like that's probably unnecessary now, isn't it?"
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